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Cornerback Will Allen out for the season with ACL tear

DAVIE — The Dolphins will look to rebound from Sunday’s second-half collapse without their top cornerback, veteran Will Allen.

Coach Tony Sparano confirmed Allen suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the third quarter of a 46-34 loss to New Orleans.

(Damon Higgins/The Post)

The Miami Herald first reported that Allen suffered a season-ending injury following a forced fumble of Saints quarterback Drew Brees by Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor with 7:28 remaining.

Allen was examined on the sideline before going to the locker room.

With Allen out, the team must now turn to rookie first-round pick Vontae Davis, who has never started an NFL game. Davis stepped in for Allen on the left side opposite fellow rookie Sean Smith, who has started all six games at right cornerback.

“They need to mature really fast,” Sparano said. “I don’t really know if they’re equipped for 10 games in a row of doing full-time duty without having Will Allen out there.

“Those two guys playing 60-40, or whatever it was we were going with those guys. I will say this, they’re both in good shape, they’re both smart players and they both like football.”

Davis, 21, finished the game with four tackles and broke up a 3rd-down throw in the end zone. But he missed a tackle of tight end Jeremy Shockey on a 66-yard play in the fourth quarter.

Sparano said Davis played 27 or 28 plays and “thought he did a good job, came in the game in a hard situation and competed.”

Davis, the No. 25 pick last April, and Smith, who was selected No. 61, were expected to be the team’s cornerbacks of the future.

Sparano said Smith played 69 plays Sunday, with three bad plays.

“These guys are playing at a pretty good levels,” Sparano said. “We do have 10 of these left. It’s going to be a long haul.”

Miami signed Allen, 31, to a two-year extension in May, with $10 million of it guaranteed.